


dry ice

by stardustspeedway



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: M/M, implied disordered eating
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-22
Updated: 2016-07-22
Packaged: 2018-07-26 01:11:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7554385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stardustspeedway/pseuds/stardustspeedway
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It`s not so bad to have someone help you.</p>
            </blockquote>





	dry ice

**Author's Note:**

> for these two, who stole my heart. for a pairing that began with the simple words "izumi gets someone to treat him right"
> 
> this may become part of a series. or not. but this isn`t the last izunazu fic i`m writing

These days, he found, there was little time to eat. 

Between normal teenage things (like homework) and not-so normal things (like rigorous training at Yumenosaki) there was barely any time to even stop and think. Both were for the better, though - Izumi preferred to keep himself busy rather than be occupied with his frivolous thoughts.  _ This is better for my figure anyway, _ he reminded himself as he swallowed down his vitamin supplements. An ideal lunch for him, honestly.   
  
He swung out of 3-A as swiftly as he had entered, hoping to arrive to practice early.    
  
“Izumi-chin!”   
  
So much for punctuality.   
  
Narrowed blue eyes met glimmering red as he encountered the (much) smaller blonde as he exited 3-B. In his hands was a bundle tied up in rabbit print pattern; most likely his lunch.    
“Where are you going? Lunch just started.”   
“I don`t have time.” Izumi replied, in a tone that was just a fraction less snappy than his usual voice.   
“Practice doesn’t start for another 20 minutes. You could at least sit with me.” Nazuna puffed out his cheeks. It didn’t take much to prove how much he could resemble the animal his unit was named for.   
  
“I don`t have any food to eat with you anyway.” He replied curtly, absentmindedly smoothing his bangs. Izumi had become fidgety whenever he spoke with Nazuna recently, but he decided it would be another one of those things he didn`t pay much mind, that would magically go away the less he thought about it.    
  
“Then I`ll give you some of mine.” Nazuna suggested breezily, beginning to unwrap his lunch even though they were in the hallway.    
Izumi frowned. He didn`t like feeling coddled like this.   
  
“It`s fine.” He turned on his heel and began to walk away. There was no time for frivolous things like this, after all.  _ Just leave those thoughts behind.  _ __  
  
Nazuna didn`t miss a beat. “Then I`ll make a lunch for you tomorrow.” He called after him, that carefree voice echoing down the hallway. Everyone passing by could hear what he said, and that made Izumi`s ears burn.   
  
Why did he care anyway? There was no need for help, nor sympathy. Izumi was doing just fine, thank you very much, please do not come again.   
  
His unit members filed in one by one. Arashi arrived five minutes later, fashionably late as usual, whereas Tsukasa was five minutes early. Ritsu didn`t arrive at all, or maybe he was asleep under the practice benches as usual.    
  
“Why so grumpy, Izumi-chan?”   
“What do you mean? That’s his usual face.”   
  
Normally Izumi would scowl at them and bite back, a cat raising it`s claws. But he remained silent and continued his graceful stretches. Nothing bothered him. Mostly since he wouldn`t allow it to in the first place.   
  
The day left as soon as it came, details fading from Izumi`s mind. His short term memory was fuzzy at best lately, but that was for the best. He didn`t like hanging on to the minor details, embedding into his brain like shards of glass. If he remembered every little cut, he would be permanently bitter.   
  
Well, even  _ more _ bitter than usual.    
  
When it was time for lunch the next day, Izumi took the brightly coloured pills from his book bag and uncapped his sports drink. He could probably work in some extra dance practice today, get ahead of the game. He always preferred to be one step ahead; that way nothing could surprise him.   
  
_ Thud. _ The door to 3-A slid open with a defiant boom.   
“Izumi-chin!”    
  
Maybe he’d have to retract that previous statement.    
  
Nazuna strolled inside as though this were his classroom, and sat beside Izumi as if he did this every day. If he was bothered by the lemon sour look on Izumi`s face, he certainly didn`t show it. The blonde simply hummed a tune as he unwrapped the rabbit patterned cloth from his lunch, then doing the same with another bundle. Except this one had little cats printed all over it.    
  
_ How cute, _ Izumi thought, dripping with disdain.   
  
“Alright, here you go.”    
“No thanks.”    
“You really like tomatoes, right?” Nazuna continued, as if his friend hadn`t said a single word.   
_ 'How did you know that?'  _ is what formed on the tip of his tongue, but instead, he wrinkled his brow.   
  
“I guess. But, like I said, it`s fine.” Izumi huffed, blowing a lock of gray hair out of his eyes. Nazuna would leave eventually. Besides, he wasn`t hungry.   
  
_ Grooowl _ __  
__  
Nazuna`s red eyes looked pointedly at Izumi`s stomach before flashing up to meet his gaze, a half smile spreading across soft features.

“Right. I`m sure you`re just fine. Now take a bite.”   
  
Izumi wanted to be stubborn and walk away. But a few things were in the way - first of all, this was _his_ desk, and he would not be moved, and second, Nazuna was holding a cherry tomato not one inch from his lips.  
  
He bit on his lower lip, narrowing his eyes at the fruit like it was his sworn enemy.  
  
Ok.  
  
_ Fine. _   
  
If one bite would placate the annoying rabbit, then he would fall on his sword and just get it over with. Blue eyes closed as he opened his mouth, feeling the chopsticks slide over his tongue mere seconds after he did.    
  
Oh. Food really did taste good after all.   
  
Izumi chewed slowly, still glowering at Nazuna, who smiled triumphantly.    
“See? Was that so hard?”   
“The hardest thing I`ve done in my entire seventeen years of being alive.” Izumi deadpanned after he`d swallowed. “Now will you--”   
  
He was cut off by a plum blossom shaped slice of carrot being shoved into his mouth.    
  
“There you go. Beta carotene. Good for your eyes.”   
  
Izumi was forced to chew and swallow lest he choked. He was busy choking down more anger than food, however.    
  
“Why are you doing this?” Izumi lowered his voice, not bothering to hide his irritation.    
“Because.” Nazuna replied simply. Like that was enough reason. Izumi cocked an eyebrow as Nazuna ate an octopus sausage.   
  
After a moment of glaring, Nazuna caved just a little bit.   
“Chiaki mentioned you never eat lunch in class. You take pills, and you leave. You’ll never build any strength like that.”   
Izumi scoffed.   
“You sound like my mom.”   
  
“Someone has to do it.” He ate a roll of tamagoyaki before plucking the same, delectable looking item from Izumi`s lunch. “Now, open up.”   
  
“If I do, will you go away?”   
“Nope.”   
  
Well, at least he was honest.   
  
And so it went, Nazuna patiently feeding Izumi his lunch, bite by stubborn bite.   
“Alright.”  Nazuna smiled, dabbing at his cheeks with a napkin. “You should tell me what you want for tomorrow.” He reached into his lunch and placed a handkerchief in Izumi`s hands.   
  
In the split second their hands touched, Izumi felt a shot of electricity run down his spine. He jerked straight up and out of his seat, dropping the cloth. He shook his hand as though he lightning had literally struck his hand. He vainly tried to quash the tingly feeling in his skin.  _ What was going on? _ __  
  
“Whoa, a-are you okay?” Nazuna`s stutter came out of nowhere as he stood up himself, reaching out to Izumi to steady him. The taller boy looked like he was ready to keel over.  He cursed, grateful that they were in the classroom alone today. It would be embarrassing if any more people saw him like this.   
  
“I don`t need any help.” Izumi spat harshly. He didn`t need help standing, he didn`t need help eating. He was  __ fine.   
  
Red eyes softened. He was suddenly far more meek than earlier, rubbing his forearm nervously. “I didn`t want you to sit alone every day, not eating anything.”    
  
“Does that mean it`s any of your business?” Izumi continued to play on the defensive, moving his angry gaze anywhere but on the blonde`s face.   
  
“It`s not so bad to have someone help you.” Nazuna replied, his voice gaining the strength he had earlier. His own eyes narrowed. Izumi didn`t know it was possible for Nazuna to look so stern. As if he was speaking from experience.     
  
Before Izumi could respond, Nazuna cut him off. His soft voice was quiet, but firm.   
“Even if you tell me to leave, I`ll be here.” He picked up his things and turned his back, walking off. Just like Izumi had done before.   
  
“I`ll be back tomorrow.” He called over his shoulder, casting one more look at Izumi. His gaze was fleeting, but it pierced right through Izumi.    
  


It made him angry.    



End file.
